Toy vehicle cab assembly

ABSTRACT

A toy vehicle cab having an open front outer cab shell mounted on a vehicle chassis, a passenger compartment assembly comprising a window forming bubble of transparent material, a seat insert within the bubble, and a grill member locking the insert within the bubble so that said assembly may be inserted as a unit rearwardly into the shell through the open front thereof, and said grill member having latch means for automatically locking the assembly in the shell. The structure also provides for partial automatic locking of the cab shell to the chassis.

I United States Patent [15] 3,701,217 Jensen 1 Oct. 31, 1972 [54] TOYVEHICLE CAB ASSEMBLY Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene [72] Inventor:Douglas S. Jensen, Mound, Minn. 33 i z' 2";

orneyar sen, ar sen urm [73] Assignee: Tonka Corporation, Mound, Minn.22 Filed: June 7, 1971 [571 ABSTRACT 2 Appl 5 533 A toy vehicle cabhaving an open front outer cab shell mounted on a vehicle chass1s, 'apassenger compartment assembly comprising a window forming bubble U-S-CL f t p t t i l a t i t th b b II."-

ble, and a member i g the insert within the Field 0 Search bubble sothat i assembly y be inserted as a unit rearwardly into the shellthrough the open front [56] Reterences cued thereof, and said grillmember having latch means for UNITED STATES PATENTS automaticallylocking the assembly in the shell The structure also provides forpartial automatlc locking of 3,553,837 1/1971 Lmstead ..46/17 the cab tothe chassis 1,956,342 4/1934 Brubaker ..46/221 2 Claims, 7 DrawingFigures I iii PATENTEDncm 1912 3,701. 21 T saw 1 or 3 FIG. 5 INVENDot/61.45 5. J6

PATENIEDncIBI I972 3.701.217

sum a [If 3 INVENTOR.

DOUGLAS 5. JEALSIA/ fl Tram/Er:

TOY VEHICLE CAB ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most toy vehiclesmanufactured today, particularly of the truck variety, are provided witha cab having a bubble insert of plastic or other transparent materialwhich is inserted into the vehicle cab to provide front, side and rearwindows. Generally this construction is accomplished by inserting thebubble upwardly into the cab along with a base filler or seat insertsimulating the cab interior and front grill and then bending over tabsprojecting downwardly from the cab against the underside of the vehiclechassis to secure the cab to the chassis.

In other designs the bubble may be inserted rearwardly into the cab fromthe front thereof with a frontal grill member having rearwardlyprojecting tabs which project through the front of the cab and are thenbent over to secure the bubble and grill in place.

In other known constructions, as well, where the cab and chassis areindependently stamped, the bubble insert and filler must be assembledwith the cab prior to final mounting of the cab on the chassis,prohibiting spray or dip painting of the cab and chassis in assembledcondition.

Additionally, heretofore known cab and chassis assemblies have generallyrequired bent tab connections between the two components at both thefront and rear of the cab.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is toprovide a toy vehicle cab and chassis with a detachable interlockingmeans at their front ends which becomes secure when the rear end of thecab is secured to the chassis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cab assembly for a toyvehicle wherein the cab shell may be permanently mounted on the vehiclechassis prior to insertion of the cab window forming bubble.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cab assembly for atoy vehicle wherein the cab window forming bubble and grill member maybe locked into the outer shell of the cab by self-locking means providedon the grill member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a toy vehicle cabassembly wherein the cab windshield and headlights are formed from thesame member of transparent material.

With these and other objects in view the invention broadly comprises theprovision of transversely spaced hook means on the front end of thechassis adapted to engage in transversely spaced apertures on the frontend of the cab to interlock the members together in this area withoutfurther riveting or metal bending manufacturing steps. It furthercomprises providing a frontal opening in the cab shell through which thewindow forming bubble may be inserted and a grill member having latchmeans for engagement with the chassis and bubble to secure the cab inassembled condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a toy vehicle in assembled conditionembodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an inverted plan or bottom view of the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle cab components inpreassembly position.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the vehicle cab takenon line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view taken from the front underside of thevehicle during the assembly of the cab shell and the vehicle chassis.

FIG. 6 is an inverted plan view of the front portion of the vehicle withthe cab shell mounted on the chassis but before assemblyof the other cabcomponents.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 7-7 ofFIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings reference numerals will be used to denote like parts orstructural features in the different views. The toy vehicle denotedgenerally at 10 comprises a chassis 11 supported on front and rear axles12 which carry ground wheels 14. A truck box 15 is mounted on the rearportion of chassis ll.

Chassis 11 has a flat longitudinally extending horizontal bed 16 with adepressed apron portion 17 formed to extend across the front endthereof. Apron 17 has an upwardly opening trough-like configuration incrosssection as can best be observed in FIGS. 4 and 7. Small upwardlyprojecting hooks 18 are formed at the ends of apron 17. Between thehooks 18 the apron 17 angles upwardly and forwardly to approximately thelevel of bed 16.

The truck cab assembly denoted generally by the numeral 20 comprises acab shell 21, a bubble insert component 22 and a grill member 24. Thecab shell has a pair of side walls 25 interconnected by a roof 26 andrear wall 27. Side walls 25 have window openings 28 and the rear wall 27has a window opening 29. The entire front of shell 21 is open. The walls25 have inwardly directed flanges 30 extending along the lower and frontedges thereof and apertures 31 are provided in said flanges near thefront lower corner of the shell. A pair of tabs 32 depend from thebottom edge of rear wall 27 and are so spaced as to project throughslots in the bed 16 of chassis 11.

The cab shell 21 is assembled with the chassis in the manner shown inFIG. 5. The front portion of the shell is lowered onto the chassisportion 17 with apertures 31 being placed over hooks 18. The shell isthen tilted rearwardly against the chassis with tabs 32 being insertedthrough the slots formed therein. When the tabs 32 are bent upwardlyagainst the bed 16, the shell 21 is firmly and immovably attached to thechassis 11. Hooks 18 may also be bent downwardly against flanges 30. 1

The bubble insert component 22 comprises a downwardly opening box-likebubble housing 33 of transparent plastic material and a base 34 whichfits within the lower portion of the housing 33 and simulates theseating, dashboard and other interior furnishings of the cab. Housing 33has a front windshield wall 35, side walls 36, rear wall 37 and top 38a.Component 22 is of such size as to be insertable rearwardly into the cabshell 21 and fit snugly therein with walls 36 forming windows inside ofthe openings 28 and rear wall 37 forming a window inside of opening 29.Front wall forms the vehicle windshield. Base member 34 is hollow andits side walls converge slightly in their upward extension so that whenthe base is inserted upwardly into the housing 33 it will fill the lowerportion thereof. The front wall 35 of the housing 33 is provided alongits lower edge with transversely spaced notches 38 which arerespectively aligned with vertical slots 39 in the front wall 43a ofbase 34. Wall 35 also has a pair of transversely spaced tabs 42depending from the lower edge thereof terminating in forward projections44 which simulate headlights for the vehicle.

Apertures are provided in apron 17 which form a pair of transverselyaligned rearwardly facing catches 40. There is also a transverse slotprovided centrally in bed 16 forming an upwardly and rearwardly facingcatch 41.

The grill member 24 is formed of rigid semiresilient material to lockthe components of the assembly in place. Member 24 has its front wall 45formed to simu late the grill and front bumper of the vehicle. A pair oftransversely spaced openings 46 are provided in the wall 45 to receivethe projections 44. A pair of latch tabs 47 extend rearwardly from thelower portion of wall 45. These tabs have downwardly projecting latchportions adapted to respectively hook over the catches 40, as shown inFIG. 4. Another pair of hook members 48 project rearwardly from theupper wall of member 24. Members 48 are aligned with slots 39 and haveupwardly projecting teeth 50 which are insertable through slots 38 and39.

In the assembly base 34 is first inserted upwardly into housing 33 asshown in FIG. 3. Grill member 24 is then attached to the component 22 byinserting hook members 48 into slots 38 and 39. This locks the units 24,33 and 34 together with the projections 44 seated in openings 46 toprevent relative upward removal of housing 33. The entire component 22is then moved rearwardly through the open front of shell 21 to theposition shown in FIG. 4. This is a snug fit with flanges 30 and thefront edge of roof 26 engaging against the side walls 36 and the topwall 38.

As the assembled insert component 22 is moved rearwardly into the shell21, the latch tabs 47 will slide over and lock behind catches 40. At thesame time a small flange 43 depending from base 34 will slide over andlock behind catch 41 locking the assembly 22 securely within shell 21even if grill 24 should subsequently be broken.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described the invention, whatI claim to be new and desire to protect by United States Letters Patentis:

1. In a toy vehicle,

a. a vehicle body having an integral cab shell with a frontal opening,

b. a bubble insert component smaller than said frontal opening enablingthe component to be moved rearwardly through the opening into the shellto form cab windows,

c. the bubble insert component having a pair of transversely spacedforwardly opening slots in the front thereof,

d. the body having rearwardly facing catch means,

and a grille member extending across the front of the ab shell andhaving a pair of hook mg mbers and a atch tab extending rearwardly thereom respectively through said slots and into engagement with said catchto lock the insert component in the shell. In a toy vehicle, a vehiclebody having an integral cab shell with a frontal opening, a bubbleinsert component smaller than said frontal opening enabling thecomponent to be moved rearwardly through the opening into a snugposition within the cab shell during assembly of the toy, a catch meanson the body within the cab shell and facing rearwardly away from theopening, and a flange on the component adapted to move over and lockbehind the catch means as the component is moved into position withinthe cab shell to prohibit forward withdrawal of the component from thecab.

1. In a toy vehicle, a. a vehicle body having an integral cab shell witha frontal opening, b. a bubble insert component smaller than saidfrontal opening enabling the component to be moved rearwardly throughthe opening into the shell to form cab windows, c. the bubble insertcomponent having a pair of transversely spaced forwardly opening slotsin the front thereof, d. the body having rearwardly facing catch means,and e. a grille member extending across the front of the cab shell andhaving a pair of hook members and a latch tab extending rearwardlytherefrom respectively through said slots and into engagement with saidcatch to lock the insert component in the shell.
 2. In a toy vehicle, a.a vehicle body having an integral cab shell with a frontal opening, b. abubble insert component smaller than said frontal opening enabling thecomponent to be moved rearwardly through the opening into a snugposition within the cab shell during assembly of the toy, c. a catchmeans on the body within the cab shell and facing rearwardly away fromthe opening, and d. a flange on the component adapted to move over andlock behind the catch means as the component is moved into positionwithin the cab shell to prohibit forward withdrawal of the componentfrom the cab.